TNR News Network
Bilaspur:
The bus accident near Bhallu bridge at Berthin in Bilaspur district of Himachal Pradesh that claimed 16 lives has sparked serious questions about alleged official negligence as local residents said they had warned authorities about visible cracks and the unstable condition of the hillside eight days before the tragedy.
Despite repeated appeals, no preventive steps were taken by the Public Works Department (PWD), a few residents alleged.
Locals warned of danger days in advance
Sunil Sood, present at the site, stated that the area had long been a known hazard, with frequent landslides and debris falling from the hillside, particularly during the monsoon season. According to him, “This part of the Bhallu bridge was never safe. After recent rains, cracks had visibly developed on the slope. Villagers alerted PWD officials just eight days ago, requesting reinforcement of the hillside.”
However, locals say their concerns were ignored and no protective measures, including putting up warning signage, were taken. Now, they believe the deadly crash was a direct result of this neglect.
Crumbling hill on one side, deep gorge on other
The accident site is particularly treacherous — bordered on one side by a fragile, mud-heavy hill and on the other by a steep gorge. Following the landslide, there were fears that passengers may have fallen deep into the gorge. Excavation machines were deployed to clear debris and search for bodies, ensuring no one was left buried.
The bus, operated by Santoshi Bus Service, ran twice daily on the Ghumarwin-Marotan route. On Tuesday, it was on its routine return trip when the hillside gave way around 6.30 pm, causing a massive landslide that struck the vehicle.
Continuous rain over the past three days had severely weakened the terrain, turning what was already a high-risk zone into a deadly trap.
15 bodies recovered overnight, last child found in morning
Rescue operations began immediately after the disaster, with local residents arriving first and pulling survivors and bodies from the debris before emergency teams arrived. The NDRF took command of the night rescue around 9 pm, deploying three vehicles and dozens of trained personnel from Salapar.
Despite the darkness and heavy mudslide, rescuers, aided by dog squads and JCB machines, worked tirelessly. By 10 pm, 15 bodies had been recovered, and two injured children were pulled out alive. The search continued into Wednesday morning, when the body of the missing child was finally located, taking the death toll to 16.
Entire villages around Bhallu and Berthin are in mourning. Homes that saw loved ones leave for work or school in the morning were steeped in silence by nightfall. Many residents are now demanding accountability, questioning how many more lives it will take before authorities act on warnings and fix known danger zones.
The district administration has provided Rs 25,000 to the families of the deceased as immediate relief, with further compensation under SDRF norms pending. But for many, no amount of aid can justify the loss caused by official inaction.
